Posts Tagged ‘washington dc’

I can see it, hear it, feel and smell it as well. Spring is in the air. Here in Washington, D.C., our cherry trees are stretching their branches, lifting their buds up to the sky. The warmth of the sun’s rays stirs all those glorious, pent-up emotions inside the tree. I expect the life-energy to be teeming with a flurry of action and buzzing with accelerated vibrations. Each limb has its job to perform so the tiny blossoms will burst open against the blue skies … and when they do, it’s almost as if it happens overnight. The waterways and parks become magical.

Along the Tidal Basin, cherry trees line the curved waterways, gracing the entire area and pathways. The blooms are almost ready to puff open thus releasing their fragrant perfume. It is a wondrous sight once the stage is set for throngs of people to visit our Nation’s Capital. Truly, it is one of the most popular times to come to Washington, D.C. Some of the trees on either side of the paths are so mature they touch each other, creating a romantic archway or tunnel of blossoms overhead.

Springtime also inspires us to deep clean our homes. What a good feeling it is to throw open the windows, clean between the nooks-and-crannies, sort through clothes and delegate whatever is no longer necessary or desired, into bags destined for donation or the annual yard sale. “Out with the old … In with the new”, was what Mother used to say. So freshen your homes and expect good things to come. Spring is just a week away. High time to welcome a fresh start … a new beginning.

On Sunday, I will celebrate my eighth year of blogging. Over the past two years I have been keeping more to myself. I suppose as the old saying goes, every seven years our tastes change and sometimes our direction. I’d felt overwhelmed by outside challenges and my focus on blogging became distracted. Through the years I have kept to myself, even when I was an on-stage performer for two decades. One might believe being “out there’, was not only very public … but it seemed to negate my privacy issue. I must insist that other than having some very close friends and acquaintances, I am still a private homebody. I do venture out occasionally, and feel that now we are settled in our condo, that I shall be doing a lot more exploring as soon as the weather turns warmer. There’s lots of territory to discover with my camera and I’ve decided that I will dine with people I am interested in with the intention of conducting personal interviews. Peeling back the persona to see the inner-workings of another is a delicate process.

Our world is complex, mainly because humans grow bored quickly then turn their attention to the next popular thing. I find it amusing to have so many directions from which to choose how I will fill my days. I’m shifting my computer in order to stand up for the most part. The downside result of sitting down for hours at a time, has made me discover a lack in stamina. My Tony Gazelle is to my left and lately I have been putting him to good use. Moving is key and whilst I will continue to write, I will also begin to adventure out to meet new people and visit new places. My city is full of historical memorials, artists, restaurants and an old theatre, plus I’ll be tapping into the music venues, too.

Friday is the best day to me as it heralds in the weekend. Have a blooming Cherry Blossom Weekend to all who are in the Washington, D.C. area, and a lovely weekend to everyone else.

The first political event I remember was the eve of the 1960 election between Nixon and Kennedy. Daddy paced round the living room, the dining room, down the hallway into the kitchen (to rattle some pans or inspect food stuff in the refrigerator) and then passed our bedroom door, on his way back to the television set. Mother told us children that Daddy was concerned about what the news anchor had to say because they wanted Senator John F. Kennedy to in the race.

Being devout Catholics it would place a fellow Catholic into the White House for the very first time. Since I loved attending Mass I put my little hands together and prayed Mr. Kennedy would be the winner. He did win and a month later a plane went down on the far side of Staten Island, which freaked-out Mother (which is the main reason we moved) and a month after the new president’s inauguration, our family packed up our belongings and made the long trek down the east coast to Miami, Florida. Our grandparents resided there and we settled about five miles from their home for a year and a half, before relocating to Bethesda, Maryland, where we have been circling our Nation’s Capitol ever since. It’s a dull town Washington, D.C. filled with politicians not at all artsy like New York City. (sigh) I find the politicians, with their endless television ads, plus the ranting on the news channels, where everything is sensationalized, tiresome and it leaves me shaking my head. I hardly ever tune in but for the debates and then finally, the week leading up to the election.

It is a horrible hurricane that ravaged the east coast. Thankfully we were on the edge of her path and felt only a small taste of her fury. The folks to our north did not fare so well as most of us have seen. It is a heartbreaking thing to witness and we did donate and pray and send out our good thoughts to our fellow citizens who have lost everything but their fighting spirit and their ability to keep the faith that things will be put to rights eventually. I am proud of the quick response by President Obama, his team and FEMA. I also wish to applaud Governor Chris Christie for being so gracious, loving, a good leader and putting his people first … before partisanship. This is how it should be, our government officials coming together and working together for its citizens. It’s exactly what has been missing over the last four years in Congress with the opposing and racist side doing everything they could to take a fraternity stance against someone they find distasteful. They just didn’t get it. Governor Christie gave them a good lesson this past week. He demonstrated how to lead, showed empathy and concern and he protected the people of his state. He continues still to encourage the residents with just the right words and actions on their behalf. We saw leadership in action from our Commander-in-Chief and our government producing the needed help as quickly as was possible, considering all of the devastation everywhere the eye could see.

Although there is the sad fact that some New York officials did not include all of their Five Boroughs (mainly Staten Island) until Thursday (two days after the hurricane hit) where half of the fatalities were. I read about the woman who had her two young sons swept from her arms by Hurricane Sandy. I read the story of a 62-year-old woman who tried to save her 89-year-old mother from the rising waters in their living room (chest-high) throughout the night but could not. I cried for them all! There should not be separatist thinking, preferential treatment or distinction! It took people nationally stomping their feet in disapproval of the New Your City Marathon Race before the mayor finally decided to postpone this event. Instead many of the contestants are still helping out the hurricane victims. Hats off to them.

New Jersey and New York City Police, and especially their Firefighters, are to be applauded once again. They had to battle hurricane winds and rains, wade through chest-high waters wearing their heavy protective gear, while hauling their equipment in order to fight the huge fires that destroyed 80 homes! I read where one man ran outside his apartment building to enter rising and raging waters to save the life of a taxi driver. There are so many unsung heroes. Seeing the lives and memories of these families, their belongings and homes turned into rubble was almost unbearable to watch, but we did so because we know that even if we were not there fighting alongside our fellow citizens, we were sending them support and love. When America hurts it seems we all hurt to a degree. Please donate if you have not yet done so. Every penny counts!

Over the weekend I have listened and watched the final days of the election unfold. I have seen the advertisements of lies from one side of the candidacy and the common sense approach from the President. Plus voter suppression is still a major concern in the State of Florida and Ohio. Even were I not a Democrat with liberal leanings, I would still cast my vote for the man who has kept his promises, while battling his personal hurricane of jealous (mostly) white men and women in Congress, who in my opinion should be tossed out of their positions into the streets for not doing their respective jobs, which is to work with the sitting president. It’s what they were elected to do … not to take bribes and work for the rich men and women who think to drive the propaganda of the elite 1%. Hell No! And as some voters were reminded to do … “Vote Republican because Lincoln freed the slaves” … really? If both Jesus and Lincoln were here today they would surely cast their votes for President Barrack Obama.